Overview

• Two-year-old Hudley Owen Hamlett was left strapped in foster father Brian Dalton’s vehicle for more than eight hours on July 31 before he was found unresponsive.
• Dalton was arrested and charged with child abuse, neglect, and involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hudley’s death.
• Police say Dalton drove past Chestnut Academy daycare without dropping off Hudley before completing his eight-hour work shift.
• First responders transported the toddler to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just days before his second birthday.
• Experts report an average of 37 annual child hot-car fatalities in the U.S. and urge mandatory safety features and caregiver training to prevent further tragedies.